Getbig.com: American Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure
Getbig Main Boards => Gossip & Opinions => Topic started by: musclecenter on June 25, 2009, 04:44:11 AM
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http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20090621/SPORTS0103/906210365/1007/RSS02 (http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20090621/SPORTS0103/906210365/1007/RSS02)
Jim Rockell was a cross country and track athlete at Franklin High School, Class of 1968.
How he came to be a competitive bodybuilder, successful gym owner, promoter, revered bodybuilding official and judge — with friends around the country, including a certain seven-time Mr. Olympia and California governor named "Arnold" — is pretty simple: He began pumping iron.
"When you graduate high school at 129 pounds and you're 6-feet tall and headed to college, you look to be a little bigger, so I started lifting weights," said Rockell, a Spencerport resident. "I gained 100 pounds in a year."
Rockell's days as a competitive bodybuilder ended a long time ago. But for more than 30 years, he's been helping others chase their dreams and change their lives.
After a short stint putting his history and science education degrees from Bucknell and Geneseo to use as a city schoolteacher, Rockell followed his heart.
He opened a gym in 1977 on Lyell Avenue for him and his buddies that would put Rochester on the bodybuilding map.
"We were training at the YMCA in a small little weight room," Rockell, 59, recalled. "Guys were dribbling basketballs while we were trying to bench press. There were other gyms in Rochester going back to the 1920s but we wanted a serious gym."
It was called Samson's.
"It was a small storefront but it was the place to be if you wanted to be into bodybuilding," said Bob Cicherillo, 43, who walked into Samson's in 1980 as a Greece Athena football player and walked out owning 21 teenage crowns.
He'd go on to earn his pro card, capture the International Federation of Bodybuilders Masters Pro world title, star on American Gladiators, and make movies.
"It was a different world back then," said Cicherillo, who has settled in Florida where he hosts a popular bodybuilding radio show. "Training was in hard-core gyms diametrically different than today's spas. They were exactly what you think of: grubby, dirty, guys sweating and pumping iron."
Four locations and 33 years later, Rockell's gym is still going strong, located the past dozen years on West Ridge Road under the name The Rockell's Family Fitness Center and Powerhouse Gym
It's not grubby. It's bright and clean with a friendly, expert staff. But it's still the place to be for serious bodybuilders, a growing legion of competitive female body sculptors and a never-ending line of Average Joes looking to get in shape.
"It's like a family," Rockell said of the true reward of being in the muscle/fitness business.
It's a high-energy business that keeps a person looking and feeling young.
Rockell, a karate black belt, still runs or lifts 90 minutes a day, a routine that pleases his wife, Alicia, and daughter, Lara. Both are nurses. Another daughter, Candice, is a doctoral student at Old Dominion. The Rockells will be married 31 years next month.
Aside from managing his business complex, Jim devotes time to the National Physique Committee, the amateur arm of the professional IFBB, as its vice president, general secretary and a judge since 1983.
He works around 25 bodybuilding shows a year across the country, including the prestigious Mr. Olympia and the Arnold Classic. The latter is named for Arnold Schwarzenegger, a longtime friend who attended Rockell's 50th birthday party.
While he has judged the likes of Lee Haney, Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman, men who captured a combined 22 Mr. Olympia crowns, Rockell never forgets his roots. The show dearest to his heart that he promotes 24/7 is the competition to crown Mr. Rochester. The 55th edition of the NPC Rochester Bodybuilding, Fitness, Figure and Bikini Championships is Saturday at the Riverside Convention Center.
At 46 consecutive years, the event is the oldest continuously held bodybuilding show in America. The last 31 have been under Rockell's direction.
"If Jim wasn't there, I'm not so sure we're celebrating 55 years," said Cicherillo, who will make a guest appearance.
Indeed, without Rockell's passion, Rochester's bodybuilding and powerlifting history would be half as rich.
In 2004, he established a hall of fame to recognize the city's top muscle men, a group that now includes Carl Lonobile, Peter Grymkowski, Danny Padilla, John Wensich, Vince Peterson, Cicherillo, the late Frank Siracuse and contributor Jon Paddock.
(3 of 3)
Grymkowski was Mr. America, Mr. World Pro and creator of the Gold's Gym empire. Padilla captured Mr. America and Mr. Universe titles. Other Samson's alumni who earned coveted pro cards were George Farah and Anthony Finocchiaro.
The barbell that connects them is Rockell. To everyone, "Rock" is more than a gym owner. He's a mentor. A friend.
"I learned a lot from Jim over the years, not just bodybuilding, but life related," Cicherillo said. "He's always done things with integrity. You trust him. It's not always what you want to hear, but it's the truth."
As a judge, Rockell tactfully critiques and encourages all the competitors. The smart ones listen. He likes eye contact, showmanship, and a symmetrical physique.
"Muscle packed on muscle, it's distortion," he said.
As for performance-enhancing drugs, that specter that haunts not just bodybuilding but all sports today, Rockell is glad that the NPC randomly tests its athletes. As a competitor, he never took steroids because for him the health risks far outweighed the benefits, he said. More bodybuilders today are reaching their goals through advances in nutrition and training methods, not syringes. But nobody is naïve.
"Somehow, society has to come to grips with this issue," said Rockell, a huge Yankees fan who has followed the steroid scandal in baseball closely. "It's science vs. morality. I always tell people, 'If you're asking me, I'd shy from it. You don't need it. And is it worth it? Are you going to be that one in 8,000 that becomes a pro?'"
Rockell's love of family, friends and fitness converge in his gym.
Plaques honor his deceased parents, Thomas and Annette, "my motivation and strength."
A giant blackboard listing "Current Members Lift Records" hangs on a wall. They are written in 30-year-old chalk never erased as a tribute to Siracuse, a world-ranked powerlifter who died of a heart attack in 1979 at age 28.
Siracuse has an eternal 540 bench, 415 incline press, 810 squat and 600 dead lift; Rockell a 500 squat and 605 dead lift. Rockell has added a bench press contest in Siracuse's name to his Mr. Rochester show.
"Frank was more than a strongman," he said. "He was a true friend who would always lend a hand."
The same can be said of Jim Rockell.
A teacher whose gym became his classroom.
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nice
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Nice piece on Rock by Leo Roth on his career...
See everyone at the show this weekend!
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Nice piece on Rock by Leo Roth on his career...
See everyone at the show this weekend!
well, everyone but kegdrainer ;D
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well, everyone but kegdrainer ;D
i might go still, haven't decided yet. This is a huge weekend, girlfriend's birthday...motorcycle poker run.....
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i might go still, haven't decided yet. This is a huge weekend, girlfriend's birthday...motorcycle poker run.....
YEA YEA gotta get your nails done mc donalds dollar menu....... give your fat ass girl some cake and thats that..
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Actually I just found out one of my bros is competing...he placed 2nd in his class last year and is coming in 22 lbs heavier and more shredded this year. pics from last year :
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b202/kegdrainer/dan1.jpg)
(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b202/kegdrainer/dan2-1.jpg)
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I gotta` say that Jim Rockell is one of the best guys in the sport........Period!!!!!!
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Good read about a good guy. Send him my best regards please Bob.
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Very good article!
Have fun this weekend!
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Good read about a good guy. Send him my best regards please Bob.
Same for me Bob... say hi to Rock and Lee (Alicia). That gym is still my choice whenever I go home to Rochester.
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Who says BB doesn't pay.Seems some Promoters make a whole lot more than the BBs.Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmm
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Especially in a NPC amateur show where the athletes dont make anything, right?
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Especially in a NPC amateur show where the athletes dont make anything, right?
Good to have you back Chick.Same could be said about IFBB Pros also.
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Chick,
why is Jim Rockell lying through his teeth?
As for performance-enhancing drugs, that specter that haunts not just bodybuilding but all sports today, Rockell is glad that the NPC randomly tests its athletes. As a competitor, he never took steroids because for him the health risks far outweighed the benefits, he said. More bodybuilders today are reaching their goals through advances in nutrition and training methods, not syringes. But nobody is naïve.
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He's not...he speaking in general
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"When you graduate high school at 129 pounds and you're 6-feet tall and headed to college, you look to be a little bigger, so I started lifting weights," said Rockell, a Spencerport resident. "I gained 100 pounds in a year."
As for performance-enhancing drugs, that specter that haunts not just bodybuilding but all sports today, Rockell is glad that the NPC randomly tests its athletes. As a competitor, he never took steroids because for him the health risks far outweighed the benefits, he said.
::)
Seriously: ::)
Here's more bullshit:
More bodybuilders today are reaching their goals through advances in nutrition and training methods, not syringes.
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Shoulder presses, in any form, have always been a movement that I did have freakish strength. At the age of 18 I could behind the neck press with 405
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::)
Seriously: ::)
Here's more bullshit:
Spoken with the true lack of knowledge you always show.
I competed with Jim in his last contest...the 1981 Natural America.
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Trevor pushed me to new levels of strength...Front military press on the Smith machines?..a set looked like this:
635 x 2, with 1 forced....
drop the weight to:
495 x 2-4, with 1 forced
drop the weight to:
315 x 2-4, with 1 forced
drop the weight to:
225 x 2-4, with 1 forced
drop the weight to:
135 x failure...usually only 4-6 reps
then doing partial with this for what seemed an eternity, and then...
dropping to the bar only to have Trevor lean on it while I had to complete 4-6 full reps...
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Spoken with the true lack of knowledge you always show.
I competed with Jim in his last contest...the 1981 Natural America.
And where can we read the Drug test RESULTS from that show???Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
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"It was a small storefront but it was the place to be if you wanted to be into bodybuilding," said Bob Cicherillo, 43, who walked into Samson's in 1980 as a Greece Athena football player and walked out juiced to the gills. owning 21 teenage crowns.
He'd go on to earn his pro card, capture the International Federation of Bodybuilders Masters Pro world title by stealing it from Rusty Jeffers with the help of his sponsors and good buddies on the judging pannel, star be a substiture fill-in on the American Gladiators road show after the television show was cancelled, and make get 10-second scenes in straight-to-video movies.
"It was a different world back then," said Cicherillo, who has settled in Florida where he hosts a popular bodybuilding radio show probably because he can no longer afford Cali. "Training was in hard-core gyms diametrically different than today's spas. They were exactly what you think of: grubby, dirty, guys sweating, much like at the Mirage Hotel in 1993."
Fixed it for you!
BTW, Bob.... who was the head judge at that show you "won"? :D
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Fixed it for you!
BTW, Bob.... who was the head judge at that show you "won"? :D
Gary Udit I believe
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Chick you always support all the IFBB and NPC Crap about what they are doing about Drugs in BB.WHEN WAS THE 1ST AND LAST TIME YOU WERE TESTED FOR DRUGS????Fucking JOKE.
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Chick, let it go! Time to 'move on' from Getbig!
You are so immature! Surely, you have more important things to do with your time!
You just hang around this board like a bad protein fart!
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Gary Udit I believe
Who was the head judge at the NOC where you took second much to everyone's astonishment?
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Chick,
why is Jim Rockell lying through his teeth?
haha, yeah its good to see the NPC dealt with their 'steroid problem' and that its no longer really an issue :-X :-X
just once when one of the myopic asshole reporters is doing anything remotly related to muscle growth and bodybuilding......and they ask the requisite steroid question.......i'd like to see one person with balls say something like "yeah, we all use steroids.....and its none of your fucking business......you drink every night, smoke two packs of cigarettes a day, and ate a big mac for lunch.....yor 40 lbs over weight and a doctor couldnt fit a pinhead through you clogged arteries....so worry about yourself and get the fuck out of my gym titty-boy"
;) ;) ;)
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Don't remember who was head judge at the NOC? Here, let me help you Bob (Courtesy of the Undercover Pro):
Q: What do you think of the Bob Chicarello phenomenon? Do you really think he is top five quality?
A: You know, I've been trying to figure out this one myself ever since I seen him take fifth in the Toronto Pro show last year. Here is guy that was seen by many of his fellow competitors eating with the head Judge Jim Rockell the night before the Night of Champions where Bob took second. This is one bodybuilder who is placing when there is nothing going on with his physique. I personally think Chic kisses the right ass to get the placing he has been getting. Bob comes in soft, his legs are really funky, his arms have no separations, he has no striations anywhere on his physique and the synthol use is becoming very apparent. It took the man 14 years to turn pro which tells you something about his body, wouldn't you think?
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/undercover6.htm
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Who was the head judge at the NOC where you took second much to everyone's astonishment?
Jim Rockell...the same guy who was head judge for my many attempts at a pro card at the USA/ Nnationalls when I was anywhere from 5th-15th
As for being "astonished"....I agree...many thought I should have won as you do
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Don't remember who was head judge at the NOC? Here, let me help you Bob (Courtesy of the Undercover Pro):
Q: What do you think of the Bob Chicarello phenomenon? Do you really think he is top five quality?
A: You know, I've been trying to figure out this one myself ever since I seen him take fifth in the Toronto Pro show last year. Here is guy that was seen by many of his fellow competitors eating with the head Judge Jim Rockell the night before the Night of Champions where Bob took second. This is one bodybuilder who is placing when there is nothing going on with his physique. I personally think Chic kisses the right ass to get the placing he has been getting. Bob comes in soft, his legs are really funky, his arms have no separations, he has no striations anywhere on his physique and the synthol use is becoming very apparent. It took the man 14 years to turn pro which tells you something about his body, wouldn't you think?
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/undercover6.htm
Good source....the voice of reason didn't fair too well, did he?
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Is your life that boring and uneventful that you have to 'come on here' and argue incessantly...It is just so banal and pathetic.
I am calling for an intervention....you need to find a way out of your message board addiction!
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Good source....the voice of reason didn't fair too well, did he?
So you admit it was Titus?
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So you admit it was Titus?
Still catching up to 4 years ago?
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why all the hate for bob chick???
oh and just a suggestion bob........maybe you should change the name of the show from "pro bodybuilding weekly" to something like......."pro bodybuilding.....uhhhh.. ....the weeks we get around to it"
that would seem more accurate in light of current events ;)
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why all the hate for bob chick???
oh and just a suggestion bob........maybe you should change the name of the show from "pro bodybuilding weekly" to something like......."pro bodybuilding.....uhhhh.. ....the weeks we get around to it"
that would seem more accurate in light of current events ;)
There was a death in Dans family....
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He is here day and night posting because he has nothing else going on in his life!
He gets a sense of power by arguing with faceless nobodies on a board that is predominantly represented by adolescents, retards and losers.
Again, he must address his message board addiction. And he must attempt to reconnect with the more important things in his life!
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There was a death in Dans family....
Condolences to Dan (seriously), but are you not capable of doing the show solo? I thought you were a "professional broadcaster" now, Bob?
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Still catching up to 4 years ago?
Everyone pretty much knew, but you always denied it.
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The 'real' issue is Bob's infatuation with message boards! It is becoming really creepy.
Yes, Chick is here day and night.
It is though all he has going on in his life is Getbig.
Are we now witnessing the demise of a guy who once beat Rusty?....What a sad fall from grace for Chick.
To think that his legacy is now a '15-hour-a-day-man on Getbig'.
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Are we now witnessing the demise of a guy who once beat stole a trophy that rightfully belonged to Rusty?....What a sad fall from grace for Chick.
fixed
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Everyone pretty much knew, but you always denied it.
I've never denied it...I'm the one who confirmed it.
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Rockell is glad that the NPC randomly tests its athletes.
Rockell is a bold faced liar.
.......i'd like to see one person with balls say something like "yeah, we all use steroids.....and its none of your fucking business......you drink every night, smoke two packs of cigarettes a day, and ate a big mac for lunch.....yor 40 lbs over weight and a doctor couldnt fit a pinhead through you clogged arteries....so worry about yourself and get the fuck out of my gym titty-boy"
;) ;) ;)
Yeah that would be nice to see. No balls with these guys.
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They do test for Drugs Don't they Chick???in the NPC and IFBB.That's whatBig Jim Rockell would have us believe.
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Chick is going through a mid life crisis.
Some buy red sports cars or go for younger blondes.
Chick just spends 15 hours a day arguing on Getbig!
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when was the last time the NPC conducted a "random drug test" that Rockell mentions?
He's not...he speaking in general
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poor old Chick not as popular here as he is with certain IFBB judges and the homo's in the Mirage hotel
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when was the last time the NPC conducted a "random drug test" that Rockell mentions?
Ask Jim...I dont follow the amateur circuit
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Ask Jim...I dont follow the amateur circuit
standard chick response, skirting another issue ::)
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100 lbs added in a year = bullshit.
Unless he got himself a pituitary tumor for a year. This was just on CNN today...more realistic of what clean eating and consistent training will get you when you are young and full of natural test.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/26/irpt.6pack.abs.dinant/index.html (http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/26/irpt.6pack.abs.dinant/index.html)
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Chick, you are really doing your status as 'Rep to men in thongs' a disservice by posting here.
You must be the only so-called Pro who chooses to spend day and night on Getbig.
Chick, other Pros have come and gone from Getbig....not you though!
Surely, when you critique your motives for being here, you come up with a big fat;
' because I am a bored and dissatisfied message board addict'
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Chick, you are really doing your status as 'Rep to men in thongs' a disservice by posting here.
You must be the only so-called Pro who chooses to spend day and night on Getbig.
Chick, other Pros have come and gone from Getbig....not you though!
Surely, when you critique your motives for being here, you come up with a big fat;
' because I am a bored and dissatisfied message board addict'
the funny thing is... Chick can't even address these comments because it only confirms Hank's opinion...
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100 lbs added in a year = bullshit.
Unless he got himself a pituitary tumor for a year. This was just on CNN today...more realistic of what clean eating and consistent training will get you when you are young and full of natural test.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/26/irpt.6pack.abs.dinant/index.html (http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/26/irpt.6pack.abs.dinant/index.html)
He looks like a concentration camp survivor.
More proof there's a happy medium between "natural" and the kamakaze doses of the pros.